We spent almost a month with the OnePlus X and here's what we found out
It would have been easier for OnePlus to follow the strategy of other mobile manufacturers. Take the flagship device, cut down on features, lower specs, and sell it at a lower price point while maintaining the resemblance to the flagship.
OnePlus rather decided to break the convention. It introduced OnePlus X with a gorgeous design, which didn't look anything like the company's premier smartphone.
There are arguments that it's inspired by the iPhone that used glass on the back panel two-three generations ago. But the material is the only similarity between the two. The design of OnePlus X is fresh and original, and it would have been a gamble for the company to go for this bold strategy. Everyone loves the phone when they look at it for the first time. The finish is impeccable.
Photograph: Reuben NV/Rediff.com
The AMOLED display makes the colours look rich, the blacks are deep, and the viewing angles great. When you open the box, you are surprised to see a transparent plastic back cover and also a company-fitted clear screen guard. The most attractive part is all this comes for just Rs 16,999. Very few manufacturers offer the design and hardware at this cost.
The phone scores when it comes to electronics under the hood. Instead of going for a mid-level processor, OnePlus chose to keep the Snapdragon 801 chipset with 3GB RAM.
The result: most of the graphic-intensive games work fine, though you may notice dropping of frames in some games like Asphalt 8.
Many have complaint about the heating issues. But in normal gaming and day-to-day operations, the warming up of back panel is bearable. We didn't face any major battery issues either that many have complained about. With moderate usage, it lasted for a day. Despite not having a fast charging option, OnePlus X charges slightly faster than other phones.
OnePlus' gamble, however, may not have given the results the company wished for. Its fora are filled with problems users are facing. The common grievance is the battery drain, random reboots and minor bugs such as keyboard lag. Current owners feel that the company seems to have concentrated more on software than the hardware.
In using the phone for about a month, however, we didn't face as many issues as highlighted in these fora. The most irritating part of the phone was lack of back lit capacitive buttons. Many Xiaomi phones too lack this, but they make up by using red colour buttons that are visible in low light.
Photograph: Reuben NV/Rediff.com
In OnePlus X, the markings are hardly visible on the capacitive buttons. The second weakest part of the phone is the back camera. Though it comes packed with a 13MP primary shooter, outdoor photos are just about average. Using HDR gives better result.
In low light shoots, one can clearly see the noise. The video quality, too, is about average. To add to the woes, the camera app comes with limited features.
Also Read: 8 most asked questions about OnePlus X
